Testing dock for submarines



March Z0, 1928.

P. MATTHlEss'EN ET A1.

TESTING DOCK FOR SUBMARINES n Filed may 12, 1926 2 sheets-meen Patented Mar. 20, 1928.

UNiTEusTATEs-i ,PArEN-rolFi-icn PAUL MArrHiEssEN AND ,Anota instruir Moniinnor HAMBURG, GERMANY.

TESTING inocx non sUBiiiiAEINEs.v f

Application ined May 12, i926, seriai No. 108,626, naar Germany Maj;- is, i925.A

The presenty invention refers to a testing dock for sub-marines comprising a ywell known buoyant testing cylinder the buoyancy chambers of which are of such large dimensions thatthey are sufficient for assuring the buoyancy of the cylinder, and that for draining or for 'positioning the testdock is employed which also may be used for itself. Since the weight ofthetestiiig cylinder including the sub-marine` contained therein and the wateris very considerable, the dock which answers the requirement that the testing cylinder exactly 'fits therein, on the one hand must have an extraordinarily large carrying power, and on the other rhand must -fbe ata certain distance apart from the side walls, whichcannot be .in agreement with the vbreadth of ordinary ships, the tonnage of whichwould correspond to the carrying power of the dock. Thus the dock cannot be fully utilized.

To avoid these drawbacks a dock is used, which is so constructed that it is divided along its centre plane into two chamber-like dock halves which interlock or engage one another and which are shiftable against one another transversally to the longitudinal axis, and which eventually in closed-up position supplement one another to a ships hull, while each dock-halt is buoyant for itself, so that the two halves can either lioat singly or together in engagement with one another, while being adapted to alternatively dock themselves.

The testing cylinder is on its complete circumference preferably constructed ofhollow walls in a known manner. The buoyant chambers, which render the testing cylinder loatable and steady, run along the complete length of the testing cylinder and not beyond the horizontal central plane. They preferably constitute one part of the space of the hollow mantle, and b y suitably bulkheads care is taken that according to need either only the buoyancy chambers or the complete hollow mantle may be iooded in known manner at a uniform water pressure. The pumps or the plant of pumps serving to flood or fill the buoyancy chambers is arranged on the testing cylinder itself.

` The invention is illustrated by the accompanying drawings.

Fig. 1 is a longitudinal section of a testing cylinder, 'i

ing cylinder out of water an independent Fig. 2 4is 4a similar section vof a testing cylinder introduced into a dry dock. Fig. 3 is a cross ysectionot the testing cylinder toa larger scale.y

Fig. lJeisa cross section of a testing cylinder arranged within a `dry dock, and

Fig. y5 is across section of lthe dock'in' expanded position, and f Fig. 6 is a cross section of the testing cylinder within the dry dock showing a plant of pumps. -I'

The testing cylinder Vlis hollowabout its complete circumference, and the hollow spaces aredivided into longitudinal spaces by the longitudinal bulkheads 2, 3 and 4:. The bottom spaces 5 and 6, which are constructedv to form boxes, Fig. 3, can be filled with ballast water to' uphold the lsteadiness duringtlie self-floating of the cylinder, and eventually sufficiently tolower the latterlto' allow the introduction of the sub-marine 7l 7 i being docked.

The longitudinal bulkheads 2, 3 and 4 are provided with slides or shutters, so that the single chambers of the spaceo the hollow mantle may be made to communicate with one another. The operation of test-ing is then carried out in this way that first of all the space of the hollow mantle is filled with compressed water up to 5 atm., and tl'iat thereupon the pressure Within lthe testing cylinder is increased up to l0 atm. The inner and outer walls of the testing cylinder are therefore only subjected to 5 atm.

In Fig. 4 the testing cylinder Vis shown with a dry dock in such manner that it snugly lits within the corresponding floating dock thus resting not only on suitable bilge blocks on the bottom but also engaging certain parts 18 of the inner wall of the lateral boxes of the dock. With this object in view blocks 9 are provided. The weight of the testing cylinder including that of the ballast and compressed water would necessitate a dock of 10,000 tons carrying power. Commercial ships of 10,000 tons own weight require a span of the dock of 21 to 22 m., which would not be in agreement with the diameter ot the testing cylinder. For this reason the dock is therei'ore divided into two halves in longitudinal direction ot' which each conipriseshone of the two lateral boxes 1Q, one halt otthe bottoml box* 11 and alternating tongues 13, which project beyond the divisional plane of the bottoni'b'oxl and are"k cut out from the upperr part of. the bottom box of the vother dockihall having corresponding gaps 12 'inits own 'bottom party in such way that the two dock-halves ata certain height above the floor of the bottom boxinterlock like a comb. The tongues 18 of each docklialt which project underjthe lateral box 10 ot the other dock-haltare guided onrailso the subjacent portion ot'the bot tom box of this halt by rollerslli.y and when soy adjusted they may be locked in position. The operation of adjusting the two halves against one another may be carried out by screw spindlesl with lett-'and right-hand threads which are coupled at 16 with the bilge blocksl. The dock-halves are float-V able and transportable eaclrtor themselves;

and when engagingone another supplement themselvesto a shipfs hull. Moreover the dock is also self-docking.- 1 Y The flooding of the buoyancy chan'ib'ers' 5 and Grasgwell astheffillingupof the mantle hollow spacel Withwater and also the evacuation is carried out by pumps or a plant of pumps arranged on the testing' cylinder by way of example comprising a main bilge pump a, arranged near the bottom and d'rivenby the motors' b5 andthe filling and pressure-pumps c arranged higher up. Oil motors l -drive"suitable dynamos for feeding thefnecessary motors.

`We claim A separable dockY comprising in combination a testing'cylinder itself of a buoyant' capacity sufficient to ioat itself loaded with a submarine7 but not the additional weight ot' the wate: for testing, and said dock in cluding complementary portions receiving said testing'cylinder port-iomof sullicient buoyancyvto float the latter above water level when loaded with' the testing water, saidn complementary portions being laterally expansible; to varyr the width' of the space 

